Cork data science student wins prestigious prize at UCC

A Carrigaline student has won the top prize at the annual University College Cork School of Computer Science and Information Technology Entrepreneurship Awards.

Ishaan Arakkal Anwar, a final year BSc Data Science and Analytics student, won the award for his project, Barrikade.

Now in their sixth year, the awards, supported Enterprise Ireland and funded by entrepreneurial innovation driver AxisBIC, recognise undergraduate students within the school, highlighting the potential of final year projects.

Following an initial review of final year projects, shortlisted students took part in a panel interview process, pitching their ideas and responding to questions from AxisBIC judges.

The awards recognise not only technical excellence but also the commercial potential and real-world impact of student-led innovations.

The winning Barrikade project explores the development of a security layer for autonomous AI agents, addressing a new class of security risks as these systems become increasingly capable of carrying out real-world tasks independently. Unlike traditional AI tools, such agents can execute actions such as sending emails, accessing data, and interacting with enterprise systems.

The project focuses on the lack of a standard mechanism to verify whether these actions are safe, authorised, or aligned with user intent. It aims to support the safe and responsible deployment of AI technologies.

The Carrigaline student said that Barrikade began as a final year project, but quickly revealed a broader challenge in how organisations manage autonomous AI systems.

“AI agents are already being deployed in companies, capable of sending emails, deleting files, and making decisions autonomously,” he said.

“In many cases, there is limited visibility or control over what those systems are doing. Barrikade is an attempt to address that.”

He said that winning the AxisBIC award, alongside support from IGNITE, has given him the confidence to further develop the project, and he is keen to continue building and engaging with others in the field.

Second place went to Jack Weitzman from Kinsale with his GroceARY project.

Third place was awarded to the team of Lily McDonnel (Kilkenny), Andrea Marshall (Ballyphehane), Saoirse O’Donovan (Tralee, Co Kerry) and Dylan O’Toole (Sunday’s Well) for their collaborative project OnBotting.